After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

Because of what Xiao Baozi said that morning, Lin Hao was also absent-minded in Rongshou Hall, with this matter constantly on her mind.

The old lady probably sensed that something was wrong with her, so she only sat for a short while before letting her go back first, leaving the little dumpling there alone to keep her company.

Back at Qiyuan, Lin Hao let Fu Cui stay behind, while the rest of them went outside to do their own errands.

Then she led Fu Cui into the inner room and gestured for her to move a small stool to sit down. Fu Cui was terrified and repeatedly declined, but she had no choice but to sit down, though she only sat down less than halfway.

Lin Hao tried to make her voice sound friendly: "Fu Cui, don't be nervous, I just want to chat with you casually."

Upon hearing this, Fu Cui relaxed slightly, but remained tense, and asked Lin Hao, "Madam, what would you like to talk about?"

Lin Hao chuckled and changed the subject to something light: "To be honest, I'm ashamed to say that I don't really remember how long you've been serving me!"

Her embarrassed expression eased Fu Cui's initial wariness.

“It’s normal that you don’t remember. How could you waste your energy on such a small matter? Since you fell ill, your servant and Liudan have been assigned to serve you. It’s been more than a month now.” Fu Cui answered without hesitation, clearly speaking from the heart rather than flattery.

Lin Hao thought to herself: That means that the people who originally served the original owner were replaced for some reason, and that's why she and Liu Dan were the ones serving the original owner.

Generally speaking, in ancient times, when a young lady from a noble family got married, the maids who served her were prepared by her family, and some of them had even grown up with her. The bond between them was something that ordinary maids could not match.

So, what was the reason that the Gu family would replace the original owner's dowry maid when she was sick?

Either the Gu family intentionally wanted to isolate the original owner from the outside world and guard against her.

Either the maid made some mistake, and it wasn't a minor one, that would lead the Gu family to do something that would obviously damage the original owner's reputation.

However, it is clear that she has not felt any restriction or surveillance on her behavior during her time here, so the first guess is invalid. In other words, it is only possible that the original owner's maids made a serious mistake that the Gu family could not tolerate, so they were driven away.

She said that although she tried her best to act like an ancient person, her acting skills were just... well, let's just say they were lacking.

Anyone who knows the original owner even slightly would find no clues whatsoever!

But Fu Cui and Liu Dan never questioned this, because they had only just arrived at the original owner's side!

It's likely that the original owner was already sickly and unable to move at that time, and with the added fever and coma, there was probably no opportunity for her to show herself, so the two of them naturally had no way to understand her habits.

"Do you know where all the people who used to serve me went?" Lin Hao asked tentatively.

Fu Cui thought to herself, "Finally, they've arrived." She cautiously replied, "Do you remember what happened when you were sick?" At the same time, she carefully observed Lin Hao's expression.

After pretending to recall for a while, Lin Hao said, "I was delirious from the fever and don't remember very clearly. Tell me what you think, and I'll see if I can remember more."

Upon hearing this, Fu Cui hesitated. Lin Hao reassured her, "It's alright. Just tell me what happened, and I definitely won't blame you."

Seeing that she was determined to get to the bottom of things, Fu Cui said helplessly, "Madam, please don't be angry if I tell you."

Lin Haoxin said, "They have nothing to do with me, why should I be angry? If anyone should be angry, it should be the original owner!" Then she waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, I definitely won't be angry. Go ahead and say it!"

"On the night you fell ill, the master came back to see you. However, he came out in a rage less than a quarter of an hour after entering the room, and ordered that your two maids be sent back to the Lin residence."

At this point, Fu Cui paused, her face slightly flushed, and continued, "I heard that when the two of them were brought out, their clothes were not very proper."

After speaking, he cautiously observed Lin Hao's expression.

Lin Hao resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Although Fu Cui's words were rather vague, it did not affect her understanding.

This is clearly a vulgar drama where the mistress is sick, the maid tries to seduce her into bed, and is then humiliated by the master!

The original owner of this body was truly pitiful, having encountered such a wretched maid. I really don't know whether she died of illness or was angered to death!

"No wonder!"

Seeing that Lin Hao remained silent after saying that, Fu Cui gritted her teeth and said, "Madam, those kinds of people are not worth your sadness! Why should you grieve for them!"

Seeing that she had misunderstood, Lin Hao didn't bother to explain and simply asked, "So what did you and Liu Dan do before?"

Seeing that she was willing to talk about other things, Fu Cui was naturally delighted and quickly said, "This servant and Liu Dan used to serve the old lady. This servant's father was a barefoot doctor in the countryside, and my mother died early."

“I grew up with my father since I was a child, and I learned some medical skills from him. When I was ten years old, my father fell seriously ill. I had no choice but to sell myself to get money to buy medicine. Unfortunately, my father still passed away in the end.”

When talking about her father, Fu Cui couldn't help but tear up. But she quickly composed herself and continued, "As for Liu Dan, you've heard her talk about her background."

Lin Hao felt sorry for her after hearing this. Although she only said a few words, she couldn't fully express the hardships and suffering that Fu Cui had endured over the years.

At such a young age, she lost both her mother and father, leaving her destitute and helpless. She had no choice but to sell herself, yet she still couldn't hold onto the last bit of warmth. For the rest of her life, she would be a slave, subjected to beatings and abuse. What happiness could she possibly have?

Indeed, in any time and space, every unhappy person is unhappy in their own way!

"Don't be too sad. Your father would be very pleased to see how beautiful you have become!"

Lin Hao's words were both comforting and true. Although Fu Cuisheng wasn't a stunning beauty, she could be considered a pretty girl from a modest family. Coupled with her composed demeanor honed from studying medicine since childhood, she would easily be mistaken for a young lady from a wealthy household if she went out in public.

Upon hearing this, Fu Cui blushed and said, "Madam, you're just teasing me!"

Lin Hao quickly defended himself: "Madam, I was just telling the truth. I didn't flatter you at all. Anyone who sees our Fu Cui can't help but sigh at how beautiful she is!"

She watched Fu Cui's girlish demeanor with amusement. She was used to seeing Fu Cui's composed self, so this was a rare sight.

Fu Cui also noticed that the more shy she was, the more excited the lady became, like a naughty child, so she became serious.

Seeing that there were no more jokes to watch, Lin Hao sighed helplessly. "Alright, let's get back to the main topic."

Seeing that she had indeed changed the subject, Fu Cui couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Madam really is like a child!